UPDATE: 11-Year-Old Steven Needs Your Help After a Violent Attack

UPDATE DECEMBER 24, 2017

We are incredibly happy to report that Steven is now back home with his family in Ecuador!

He was nervous to return and concerned about how he would be accepted with his scars. But he was embraced with open arms and has been overwhelmed with the love that has been poured out for him. His family let us know he is doing really well, both physically and emotionally.

Steven with his family in Ecuador.

Before Steven went home, his sponsor Cory made a trip to visit him in the hospital. Steven was a little self-conscious to be meeting her for the first time. That quickly changed during his physical therapy when he and Cory were able to play with the Lego set she brought him. They spent some beautiful moments playing, singing and dancing together.

Steven and Cory playing with legos at the hospital.

Steven’s sister, Steven and his sponsor Cory.

When we shared his story back in June, we honestly didn’t know if Steven would make it due to the severity of his injuries. But because of the prayers and work of Compassion Ecuador, his local church, generous donors, caring doctors and nurses, his family and his sponsor, the attack was not the end of Steven’s journey.

Thank YOU for standing with him in faith and selflessly pouring out your support.

Please continue to keep Steven and his family in your prayers:

Pray for Steven and his sister as they adjust to returning to Ecuador

Pray for Steven’s continuing physical therapy and healing as his skin will need multiple surgeries over the next 10 years

Pray for Steven’s care and emotionally healing from the psychological effects of the attack

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 8, 2017

Steven is no longer in the Intensive Care Unit!

Now he will begin to focus more on the physical therapy aspect of the treatment process. This will include walking, sitting up in a chair, eating on his own, etc. He hasn’t been able to move for months, so he is going to have to rebuild strength in his body. He is now talking quite a bit as well.

Overall, he is doing so much better, and his family is praising God for his recovery! They have been so encouraged by your prayers and support.

Another update: Ecuadorian police apprehended the boys who allegedly committed this crime and their case is currently in trial. Steven’s sister specifically asks for prayer for her family as they work to forgive these boys. We also ask that you join us in praying for these young men.

UPDATE AUGUST 7, 2017

We are glad to report that Steven is responding well to treatment. He has been receiving surgeries weekly since his arrival in the US and although it’s a slow process, his body is beginning to heal.

Steven and his sister taking a moment to smile for a selfie at the hospital.

Because of your generosity, over $500,000 was raised to help pay medical bills for him and other children facing difficult medical situations. As part of our Compassion family, we are truly humbled by your response and willingness to stand with Steven and his family. Thank you!

As you can imagine, Steven is having a difficult time dealing with the psychological impact of the attack and how it has changed his life. As part of his care, he is working with a counselor to help him as he processes and grieves.

Will you please keep Steven and his family in your prayers? They still have a very long road ahead. Here are some ways you can pray:

Pray for Steven and his family as they deal with the psychological effects from the attack. His sister specifically asked that we would pray that the hearts of their family members would be open to forgive the people responsible for this.

Pray for Steven’s pain level, that he wouldn’t develop infections and that his body would fight those infections he currently has.

UPDATE JULY 1, 2017:

We’ve received reports from Steven’s family that his condition is improving. He is receiving treatment for his burns, has been taken off of kidney dialysis and can now sit up and eat. Please continue to pray as in the coming days his medical team will be determining the next steps for his plan of care.

Thank you for praying with us and his family! But Steven still has a long way to go.

Keep reading to see his full story and how you can help him and others like him.

JUNE 28, 2017

I’ve started this blog post a half dozen times, but I’ll be honest with you. I don’t know how to write it. A few days ago I was told a story so horrific that I still am struggling to process it. But as I sit here with my hands literally shaking, I know that this is a story you need to know.

Because Steven needs your help.

It started as a typical Sunday for Steven in his hometown of Esmeraldas, Ecuador. He had gone to church that morning, probably played with his friends, heard a Bible story. But at 1:00 that afternoon, Steven was attacked by a group of teenage boys near his home.

I can’t tell you why this happened. But what I do know is that Steven was captured, bound, covered in gasoline and set on fire.

That’s the sentence that makes my hands shake.

Steven ran to a nearby river and was able to put out the fire. But the boy’s nightmare was just beginning. He was taken from hospital to hospital, but none were equipped to deal with the severity of his burns, which covered more than 65 percent of his body.

In those critical first days, Steven suffered. His parents suffered as they begged for help. The Compassion staff suffered as they tried to find resources.

And that brings us to today. To you.

Currently, Steven is in critical condition. Many of his organs are failing, and he is on dialysis. He is experiencing sepsis and septic shock.

A group has brought Steven to the United States to a hospital with a burn unit that can provide state-of-the-art care. It is estimated that he will need at least seven years of care, including skin grafts, surgeries and dialysis.

Will you help?

By giving a donation to our Medical Assistance Fund, you will help Steven and other children like him with critical medical needs. As of now, Steven’s medical bills are expected to be $250,000* and increasing daily. His family could not make that much money in a lifetime.

“Pray for Steven,” she says, “so the function of his organs can come back to normal. We are thankful to God and have faith in Him because He is taking care of my brother. Sometimes doctors come and say ‘Steven has only a few hours of life.’ But my brother is still alive. God is with us.”

Will you be with him too?

Will you also pray for Steven?

Pray for Steven, his friends and his family as they deal with this dire situation.

Pray for wisdom for the medical personnel as they treat Steven.

Pray for those who caused Steven’s injuries.

We will keep you updated as Steven’s condition progresses here on the blog as he receives the care he needs. In the meantime, join us by praying, donating on behalf of Steven, or starting your own fundraiser. Click the links below for more information.

It is wonderful to learn about Steven’s progress! To now be out of intensive care truly is a reason to celebrate. We serve a mighty God and I praise Him for all He has done for Steven, for his family and for all of us that care so much for children in need. I give our Lord all the glory for Steven’s amazing recovering to date. I continue to pray for Steven to respond well to treatment so that very soon we will be hearing that he’s out of bed and on his way to further recovery. I also pray for Jesus to touch the hearts of the boys that are now in custody for attacking Steven. Also, I give a big thanks to everyone that has followed their hearts through the Holy Spirit and for doing all they have done to turn a terrible thing into something we can all now be thankful to our Heavenly Father for. I am very thankful for His unfailing love! Continue to get better Steven. Jesus loves you!

Steven: I too pray for you everyday my precious son. I also have my family and church praying for you. I grieve so at just the thought of what you went through and are still going through. You are such an amazing, brave and strong young man. You are here today for a reason! God loves you and he is with you always and every step of the way. He will never leave your side. God will see you through this and has a bright future and plan for your life. I await eagerly for constant good reports of you. I love you my son. You say how can you love me and you do not know me, but oh God is Love and He loves us and so I can love you because He first loved us all. God Bless you dear child!!! 🙂

Steven, I will continue to pray for you and your family. He”s keeping you in the care of his loving arms. I am so happy and thankful to the Lord for your improvements so far. Trust in him, he will shed blessings of continued healing for you and your family. Praise the Lord!!

Hi, I live in Chicago and I have family in Esmeraldas, Ecuador. I also have been there and I would like to know if there any possibility to reach Steven’s family to give them a word of encouragement. Thanks.

My heart had been so burdened for Steven! Please keep us updated on his progress! I am praying he can be fully healed and strong sgain! I am praying his little heart doesn’t become bitter but can find forgiveness! Only through God’s precious grace! Praying for wisdom for all those involved in helping him get better! May the Lord wrap His arms around Him during this difficult time!

Hi Charlotte,
Thank you so much for your sweet, kind words! Your continued prayers are such a blessing! We will keep everyone updated as we get information, although it may be some time before we hear anything. Please know that we do know he is in the United States and receiving full treatment. God bless you! -Shannon

Hi Sarah! Thank you so much for your prayers, heart, and concern for Steven. We regrettably do not have any updates that we are able to share on Steven at this time. We will be sure to share any updates as they are available. Thanks again!

Susan, Thank you for keeping us informed with updates on Steven’s progress and treatment. I pray for Steven’s recovery, the team attending him, the treatments, that each day he will grow stronger and that the pain will subside, that his body respond well to the medical program and that God will do a mighty work in his life mentally, physically and spiritually.

Hi Suzanne! Thank you so much to you and the kids for reaching out and giving in love to Steven! You are welcome to give online anytime here: https://www.compassion.com/medical-emergency.htm?referer=566547. You are also welcome to send checks to: Compassion International, Colorado Springs, CO 80997. Please write in the memo line that the gift is for medical assistance for Steven. God bless you!

I am glad that Steven is getting better every day. I pray for his recovery that he is being healed in every way. I pray for the doctors and nurses that are taking great care of him. I pray for strength for his family. God is good and we can see that He works miracles out every day if we just believe and have faith. I pray for his attackers, Father forgive them for they know not what they have done to this innocent child. Get well soon Steven.

I am praying for Steven and his family and have donated to his recovery. I come back to the site regularly for an update but have not seen one in a couple weeks. Can you please update us on his progress?

Hi Kathy! We do update Steven’s situation as we are able to while still maintaining his right to privacy as well. All updates we have available on his condition will be available here when we have them. I know it is so hard to wait, and it sounds like you care deeply about this precious young man!

I hate that we do things like this to each other. I just heard about it. I am praying for him to recovery, and for the family to be given peace. Thank you for sharing this story, and thank you to everyone who has (in any way) been apart of Steven’s continued recovery ~

I am praying for Steven and his family for a full recovery. I am also praying the God will heal him phisically and mentally. It breaks my heart that anyone could live with the thought of harming someone so harshly and cruel. Whoever committed this awful awful crime I pray that they are caught so they don’t cause harm to anyone else. Overall I pray that God heal the hearts of anyone who has been affected by this tradegy.

Alice, thank you so much for your loving heart and concern for Steven! We appreciate you checking in and your eagerness to hear how he is doing. We want to honor and respect Steven and his family, so there are privacy and security policies in place for safeguarding his medical information. Therefore, we can provide updated information when we have it, but we cannot guarantee how soon we will receive updates. Regrettably, we have not received any additional updates since July 1st. Thank you for continuing to pray with us for Steven’s healing!

Thanks Becky for bring Steven’s story to life for all that follow Compassion’s news and for so many of us who have kids in the program. I was praying for Steven before I even finished reading your account of what happened. I was totally horrified by what you described about Steven’s assault. Last Sunday, I spoke to the members of my church and encouraged them to visit the Compassion website to get the full story and to start praying for Steven and his family. I encouraged them to also consider getting involved financially in helping to pay for Steven’s medical bills. The church response was very favorable. Praise God for keeping Steven alive and for the huge improvement in his condition. I prayed so hard for God to keep him alive and at peace during those first days following the attack. Again, our Heavenly Father heard us and blessed us all by keeping Steven with us. It’s to His glory that I am beside myself with joy to hear that Steven is doing so much better. I will continue to pray daily for Steven to steadily get better. Glory to God!

I’m sorry Brandy for not thanking you for bringing Steven’s story to life. Due to the emotions welling up in me as I rejoiced and gave thanks to God for Steven becoming more stable I got a little confused with the many names on the blog. Again, thanks and sorry.

Praying this morning for Stephen and his family! I loved seeing a picture of him sitting up, eating, and I cried thinking of all they have and are enduring. Lord, bring healing and comfort in mind, body, and spirit to Stephen and to his parents. Praying for wisdom beyond anything they can come up with on their own in his medical team. And praying in the name of Jesus that what the enemy meant for harm that God would use for good. Keep fighting Stephen, and we will keep fighting for you in prayer!

Steven’s story has brought me to tears multiple times as I have thought of and prayed for him these last several days. And now, the many, beautiful heartfelt prayers that I’ve been reading here also make me weep! Surely, God is in this place and in this situation! He sees all, knows all, is listening, and has a plan so great–no one can fathom. Already we are seeing His merciful and gracious answers to the prayers uttered on Steven’s behalf. So thankful to hear of Steven’s progress. He has a long way to go, physically and also emotionally, but am so grateful God is always an every present help.
Praise the Lord, and continued prayers for this precious child!

Absolutely believing that Steven will be healed. I have been shown visions of a great revival of “thy Kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven” that is beginning this summer. 100% healings and the glory of the Lord will be revealed in signs as great as the Red Sea splitting (all captured live by Media this August). One of these carriers of heaven will be coming to visit Steven and he will be completely healed and restored. Thank you Jesus!

Praying for Steven and his family. What happened to him is terrible. I hope God makes the young men who did this horrible deed aware of what they have done. I sponsor two children and I can’t imagine something happening to one my children.

Lord Jesus healing, life restored, wounds mended, and light into the darkness now in Jesus name. Release power and glory from this event. Power and restoration be done now in the mighty name of Jesus amen

Lord Jesus healing, life restored, wounds mended, and light into the darkness now in Jesus name. Release power and glory from this event. Power and restoration be done now in the mighty name of Jesus amen

Please pass along to his doctors/sponsor/family this new treatment in Pittsburgh. Perhaps, with the Compassion community behind him, he would be a candidate for this. It sprays stem cells to heal burns without painful surgery and grafting. Wherever he is, please pass this along to someone who can help. RenovaCare Skin Gun
They are using at at Mercy Burn Center in Pittsburgh in a clinical trial.

This is an amazing development in burn care! I pray that someone will see your comment and pass this information on to Steven’s healthcare team! Even if it cannot help Steven, because it has yet to be approved by FDA, may it change the course of burn treatment for countless others in the future!

Praying for Steven and praying for healing in the mighty name of Jesus by Jesus stripes he is healed . Praying for God to send his angels on heaven and earth to be with this family be with them and comfort them, guide them, surround them and protect them. I ask all this in Jesus precious holy name that he receives the glory in all he does in this child and family’s life.

Come down, Lord – how we need You in this sad hour! Let us use the precious tool of our sponsor relationships to turn children’s hearts away from any form of cruelty and violence. Heal Steven; heal the hearts of those who hurt him! In Your name, Bev

Having 2 young grandchildren and a 6 yr boy living in Honduras we sponsor, this news hit was devastating to hear today. I also know how brutal the recovery process for burned victims is. It takes a will to live to survive. So, I has asked my co-workers to lift Steven in prayer with me. One of them responded with this prayer. Please agree with us as continue to petition our Father God on behalf of Steven: “We lift Steven up to you Father, we pray for the funds to be provided for Steven’s care and pray for the doctors needed to perform the many surgeries that Steven will need with future skin grafts. Please reach down right now and calm his hurt, fill Steven with your strength to fight and recover. We pray for people to come into his parent’s life that can comfort them and show them your love. Encourage those who are led to help and confirm your will for them to do so.

Father we know the evil that surrounded this horrific act and we ask that you transform the hearts of these boys to serve you and you alone.

Thank you Father for Compassion and for the many sponsors that reach out and make these children part of their own family.

Father, restore Steven, give life back to his failing organs. Make his life a living testimony to your glory. Help him through these most difficult times and send him the right people to encourage him to chose life.

Steven, I am praying for you and your family. I am very thankful that you have survived and were brought to the United States for treatment through Compassion. You are precious. You have much to endure, but Jesus is with you every step of the way. May your hope increase as you trust the Lord through these struggles. You are loved.

They set him on fire???? What in the world would possess someone to be so cruel!? I prayed for him and his family as well as the teenagers that did this to them. I prayed they realize what they did and genuinely repent. Also that Steven doesn’t have any emotional/mental backlash from this.

I am so happy to hear he is still alive and in the US for treatment. You see, I was with a group from my church visiting some of the 200 children we sponsor in the project adjacent to Steven’s when this happened in May. In fact, the new project director of our EC-604 is also over his project, I believe. I do know they share some Compassion staff. Through a mix-up of some sort, we were told he had passed away and then the next day, he was still with us. We have been praying for him since and wondered how he was doing. God has great things in store for this young man’s life and it is a privilege to pray him through this.

Can hardly breathe as I read about Steven. My office prayer warriors immediately started lifting Steven, his family and Compassion family in prayer. Not only for Steven’s physical needs but his spirit and will to live and recover from all of the wounds this attack has caused him.

Please pray in agreement with us. We lift Steven up to you Father, we pray for the funds to be provided for Steven’s care and pray for the doctors needed to perform the many surgeries that Steven will need with future skin grafts. Please reach down right now and calm his hurt, fill Steven with your strength to fight and recover. We pray for people to come into his parent’s life that can comfort them and show them your love. Encourage those who are led to help and confirm your will for them to do so.

Father we know the evil that surrounded this horrific act and we ask that you transform the hearts of these boys to serve you and you alone.

Thank you Father for this ministry and the work they do being called to help and support families in need.

All I can do is cry for this sweet little boy, but I will pray, and I know for a FACT that our God heals! My daughter’s heart rate started dropping 5 minutes before she was born, and then she flat-lined and stopped breathing. She was gray and still and lifeless at delivery, and they rushed her to the side to begin CPR. They were able to bring her back, but they estimate that she went at least 5 minutes without oxygen and rushed her to Emory Midtown Hospital to be placed on a cooling blanket (a more modern technique that tries to preserve brain function). The initial prognosis was very bad. Every organ was offline – heart, lungs, brain, kidneys, liver. The doctor told us that she might not live and that if she did, tests were showing moderate to severe brain damage, so she might not be able to do anything for herself…ever. Every organ had shut down, and I didn’t get to hold my baby for 5 days. But people started praying, and God started healing. We prayed for a specific organ every day, and the next day, the doctors reported that that specific organ had come back online and was functioning normally. First the kidneys, then the liver, then the pulmonary artery.
Day by day, organ by organ, she came back to us. They couldn’t explain it, but her condition improved every single day. She never had a day of decline. And we took home our beautiful, healthy baby girl when she was 2 and a half weeks old, without oxygen, sensors, or even a feeding tube. She is 9 months old now, crawling around on the floor, standing up holding on to her crib, laughing, and playing with her big brother. She is a miracle, because our God still performs miracles!! He is no respecter of persons. What he did for our little girl, He is willing to do for Steven! Praying for Steven and his family and believing for a miraculous recovery!

Wow! Thank you for sharing your testimony of the miracles you have seen! I am so glad you’re enjoying your baby now, by the power of God. May this story give hope and build faith in us as we pray for Steven, and those other hurting people in our lives. May Steven’s family be able to hold him and watch him play again. In Jesus’s name.

Praying and believing God for miracles in Steven and those surrounding him–even the attackers, that they would come to know Jesus and repent of their sins. God–our God of miracles–CAN overcome this and use it for His glory. May Steven be made completely whole–nothing missing, nothing broken–and many come to Jesus through and in spite of this horrific situation! NOTHING is impossible for our God!!! To GOD be the glory!!!

OH WOW! THIS is very heartbreaking! So senseless! It seems like it is another unfortunate horrible thing we must deal with in these last days. I really do wish I could contribute to the Medical Assistance Fund, but I am in between jobs right now. I have been called a prayer warrior throughout the yrs. So, best as I can and as the Holy Spirit leads, you can count on me to pray for this precious child and his family and the entire situation. I can imagine that the group of teens that did this horrible thing will never be caught or punished. We can hope and pray that they will one day come to their senses that God gave them, and go forward. Asking God for forgiveness and Steven and his family. Whether they do that or not, they will one day stand before our heavenly Father and answer to Him. I will spread the word about this on my fb page and share this with others in any way that the Lord leads me. I am thankful that Michael W Smith posted this and encouraged his friends to read this sad story; making us aware of the situation. Please keep us updated as appropriately possible. May God bless Steven and his family through all of this!

This is awful … my mind is having a hard time processing it and my mama heart can hardly believe it’s real. Will you be able to provide follow up info on Steven’s condition? How can we know what’s going on with him? Also is there a way to give directly to Steven’s medical needs instead of just giving to the general medical fund?

I pray for healing & the peace of God upon this wee boy, and his family! Holy Spirit minister to them all in their time of darkness! If it Your will O’God may your Spirit flow through Steven’s body now, total healing through the precious blood of Jesus organs fully functioning septicaemia or any infections be gone in Jesus name! I stand in the gap of the teens involved in this, Lord peel back the spiritual curtains revealing your glory that they may be brought to repentance and deliverance knowing You as their Lord King And Saviour May the testimony from this demonic attack glorify your mighty name Yahweh who is and who was and who is to come! Hallelujah

Becky, our hearts are breaking with this devastating news as well. Thank you so much for your compassionate heart and concern for precious Steven. We want to honor and respect Steven and his family, so there are privacy and security policies in place for safeguarding his medical information. Therefore, we can provide updated information when we have it, but we cannot guarantee how much information we can share or how soon we will receive updates. Regrettably, you may only donate to our Medical Assistance Fund. Please rest assured that we will make sure Steven receives every medical attention that he needs through this fund. We are so grateful that you are joining us in praying and helping sweet Steven. God bless you!

Christina, your comment sounds like you have some inside information. I understand this happened to little Steven in May, is that correct? I have been praying for him and have a strong and sure assurance that he is being lovingly held in God’s hand, safely cupped in His palm. How do we go about getting more updates about little Steven? It is wonderful that we can all pray for little Steven, his family and loved ones and for his attackers as a response to a an incredibly horrendous message that has been sent out to us by Compassion Int’l. However, after hearing his story, I was crying and sobbing, praying to Jesus for little Steven and though I have recovered, I am still really needing some follow up on if he is improving, still deteriorating further or even alive. Please, Christina, do what you can to find out what his current status is as of today June 30th and post it here. As your sister in Christ, thank you.

Barbara, please know that our hearts are saddened by what has been done to this sweet boy, and we appreciate your concern for him. Regrettably, I do not have any additional information than what we have been able to provide in this blog article. However, we did just recently receive updated information, and this blog was updated as of June 1st. I encourage you to read the updates above and see Steven’s new picture! 🙂 As mentioned above, Steven’s condition is improving, and he is receiving treatment for his burns. He has been taken off of kidney dialysis, and he can sit up and eat. Praise God!! We cannot thank you enough for your continued prayers and support for Steven. He still has a long journey to recovery ahead of him, but with the prayers, support, and love he is receiving, we are hopeful for his future. Please rest assured that we will provide updates here on this blog as they become available to us. God bless you!